Rings of Power and the New Dark Lord
Eriador Expander,Numenor Island Mod are required. New Arda mod (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3749894178), hardly recommended.
Rings of Power and the New Dark Lord weaves the corrupting power of theRings into a full path of rise and fall: from a sickly ring-bearer wasting awayof the Black Breath, to a Ringwraith, to the crowned Lord of the Rings upon thethrone the Dark Lord left empty — and, for the free peoples, the desperate warto cast that new shadow down.All in-game text is in English.
1. BECOMING A NAZGÛL (automatic)——————————————————————————Any HUMAN who has borne a Ring of Power and is afflicted with the Black Breathis doomed. When such a character would die a NATURAL death (old age or illness —the Black Breath’s Catastrophic health penalty will see to that), they do notdie. Instead an event fires and they rise as one of the Úlairi:• they gain the Nazgûl trait,• their faith becomes the Cult of the Lidless Eye,• their culture becomes Úlairi (ringwraith),• the Black Breath leaves them.How to trigger: play a human who bears (or has borne) a Ring of Power,contract the Black Breath, and let nature take its course. This works whileSauron lives OR while any New Dark Lord holds the Kingdom of the Shadow.——————————————————————————2. NAZGÛL ARE DEATHLESS——————————————————————————The Nazgûl trait is immortal and carries a life expectancy of ten thousandyears: a Ringwraith will not wither away to old age or illness. They are undoneonly by the "Destroy Mordor" decision (Sauron’s wraiths) or by the new"Destroy the New Dark Lord" war (a usurper’s wraiths)
3. FORGING A RING — THE MASTER RING——————————————————————————Eriador Expanded’s "Study Ring-lore" and "Forge a Ring of Power" decisions areopened up: besides rage-against-the-light Elves, they now also appear to:• Ainur (Ainu heritage) who are Maiar or Istari, and• Fallen Ainur who are Maiar or fallen (evil) Istari.The unique ring forged this way is marked as the MASTER RING — "the Oneto rule them all". It grants roughly DOUBLE the benefits of a normal Ring ofPower, and its description says as much. There is only ever ONE Master Ring pergame. (A Ring of Power and a Master Ring are different things, though the MasterRing is itself a Ring of Power.)How to activate: as an eligible character, take "Study Ring-lore", then"Forge a Ring of Power". The ring you forge IS the Master Ring.
4. OBSESS OVER THE RING——————————————————————————Once you bear the Master Ring, the decision "Obsess over the Ring" appears (evenwhile Sauron still lives, though you cannot take it until he is gone). Taking itturns you to evil and converts you to the Cult of the Lidless Eye — but NOT yetas its Head. This is above all the road to evil for those who could neverotherwise take it, such as an Istar of an Ainu faith. It is never available toElves.How to activate: hold the Master Ring; once Sauron is defeated, take"Obsess over the Ring".
5. BECOME THE NEW DARK LORD——————————————————————————With the Master Ring in hand you may claim the black throne. The decision"Become the New Dark Lord" is shown to any ring-touched ruler (its requirementsappear in red until met). To complete it you must:• bear the Master Ring,• hold the county of Barad-dûr OR of Carn Dûm,• have a realm of at least 20 counties,• have seen Sauron defeated,• pay 1000 gold, 1000 piety and 1000 prestige.It is NEVER shown to Sauron himself. On completion you take the Kingdom of theShadow (k_dark_lord) — becoming Head of the Cult of the Lidless Eye — and areconverted to its faith.
6. FORGE NEW RINGS OF POWER (as the Dark Lord)——————————————————————————While you hold the Kingdom of the Shadow, the repeatable decision "Forge newRings of Power" lets you hammer out lesser rings. These are true Rings of Power(they can damn mortals to become Nazgûl) but they are NOT Master Rings. Givethem to the proud and the greedy to make new slaves.
7. DESTROY THE NEW DARK LORD (for the free peoples)——————————————————————————If a New Dark Lord reigns AND Sauron is already gone, a good-aligned ruler wholies within the Dark Lord’s empire or in a bordering empire may take "Destroythe New Dark Lord". This DECLARES WAR upon him. Only if you WIN the war does theshadow fall: the Dark Lord and EVERY Ringwraith are slain, the Kingdom of theShadow is destroyed, and his lands are freed and resettled by rulers of YOURculture and faith. (While Sauron still lives, cast HIM down first with the basegame’s "Destroy Mordor".)
8. SEDUCE THE MEN OF NÚMENOR (Downfall of the Isle)——————————————————————————A reigning New Dark Lord — or Sauron himself (always offered to Sauron, evenfrom Dol Guldur, though he is warned he must hold the Dominion of Mordor) — maytake "Seduce the Men of Númenor". It requires at least TWO lesser Rings of Power(not the Master Ring), 3000 gold and 5000 piety. You travel to Armenelos and,on arrival, choose to either:• give a Ring to the King of Númenor (he is damned to become a Nazgûl and theIsle falls into your power), or• sway the Númenóreans to the worship of Melkor.Either way the Downfall begins: FIVE years later the realms of Númenor areunmade and the Isle is reduced to savage, undeveloped, independent ruins, and aglobal event tells every court that Númenor has fallen.
9. THE RINGS OUTLAST SAURON——————————————————————————The Rings of Power (Sauron’s and Celebrimbor’s works) stay potent not only whileSauron lives but also while any New Dark Lord holds the Kingdom of the Shadow —so they keep granting their full benefits, and keep damning mortals to Nazgûl-hood, even after Sauron’s fall.——————————————————————————NOTE ON THE DOWNFALL OF NÚMENOR——————————————————————————CK3 has no true "empty, colonizable" province, so the Downfall is rendered asthe closest the engine allows: the kingdom/empire of Númenor destroyed, everycounty handed to undeveloped, independent "wasteland"-culture holders — a ruinedland open to be reconquered.
10. DESTROYING THE MASTER RING (the hobbits’ burden)——————————————————————————The Master Ring can be unmade in only ONE way. A Shire-hobbit (culture: hobbit)who BEARS the Master Ring may take "Destroy the Master Ring": they set out onthe long road to Mount Doom (the county of Orodruin). The Ring draws theEnemy’s servants – during the journey at least one orc ambush is certain (up tothree), each survived by a check of your Martial or your Intrigue. Fail, and youare slain and the Ring slips to a random soul (announced to all). Reach theCracks of Doom, and the Master Ring is cast into the fire and unmade forever.
Revisions:
Old revisions of this mod are available below. Click the link to download.
